Apr 26 2008
battling your present demons
Depression is something I know, all too well. Growing up I was the social outkast, the younger brother that tagged along, the socially awkward kid.
As I grew older, I learned how to deal with social downfalls. I learned, early on that in order to be happy with myself, that the source of that joy MUST come from interally, because I simply could find it anywhere else. I was rejected, dejected, misunderstood, and pushed away from.
I had 5 best friends growing up, but none for years. Chad moved away. Neil made an ugly turn into the occult. Daniel found someone cooler and Courtney left. Katie & Welsch I both broke up with.
So during loss or times of self-lacking, I’ve figured out how I deal with depression and I’ve mapped out exactly how I have dealt with things, in hopes that it will shed some light on how the pysche works with this pyschological condition.
Depression, in and of itself is made up of pain, saddness, grief, loss or lacking.
Three are 3 ways the mind, your body/self deal with this depression:
1. Deal
2. Fight/Counter
3. Postpone
Deal:
Dealing with the depression isn’t what it sounds like, because its less than fighting or counter, but not quite postponing. Its more like sufficing. In “Dealing” with depression, one looks for quick solutions or quick remedies that do nothing more than solve it for a time, a short period.
Many of these temporary solutions are:
- Food- a very common way of dealing because when eating or in the process of looking for something to eat, your body and mind go for the “quick happy”, that brownie, that latte, the fast food. When eating that food, it temporarily sends you to a happier place, whether through reminescing or just chemical reaction.
- Drugs- this one is kinda self-explanatory, but depending on the drug you can either get a high, pass out or just decompress the pain and loosen yourself
- Alcohol- this one in the same light, it puts you in the mindset to either think of OTHER things or think of them differently, depending on how your mind reacts to the alcohol in the first place.
- Impulse buys- much like food its the “quick happy” that you’re after, and after this purchase you HOPE that it distracts you long enough to get over whatever it is thats depressing you in the first place. If you are depressed, or not feeling well with yourself, the last thing you should do is shop, because if you don’t find that full distraction in the first item you buy…you will until you do.
Fight/Counter:
Fighing or counter is the one-way ticket out of depression, IF you stick to it. IF you find the right sort of help for you, IF you go into not looking back. Whenever depression creeps up on you, fighting it standing up is by far, your BEST option:
- Friends- they are among the best ways to counter it. Friends build up your confidence, provide companionship and love. Love, however one can get it, is the best medication to depression depending on what is bringing it.
- Faith- Its a great way to get over and get rid of depression, whether it be through prayer, meditation or just praising your God or creator. Faith puts your mind at better ease because you loose that feeling or walking through it alone. In my walk with God, albeit a shaken one at times, its faith in knowing that he has my back, that he stands with me and that he watches over my life. Faith, at the same time, forces people to reevaluate their life and life choices for the better. Whatever got them into this depressive state, through the Bible or religious texts, in all cases sheds light on how to attack whatever is attacking them.
- Exercise- Studies have shown that when increased levels of pheromones and in the body (through exercise) the mind becomes more at ease and less tense. It serves similar for depression, exercise renews your mind, your self because so much of it was just focused elsewhere for a time. It leaves you refreshed.
Postpone:
There is nothing wrong with postponing depression as long as you realize that its not indefinite. Don’t want to deal with something now? Fine, but you’ll have to eventually. My advice, postpone ONLY when absolutely necessary. If you get bad news at work or something where you can’t just leave…postpone it. Otherwise, try to deal with it as soon as you get a clear head and mentally handle what you’re facing.
Ways we postpone are:
- Work- Its probably my favorite way to postpone things because, given my work, I can literally start whenever I’d like. Don’t have enough work to do? Research, always a good time killer and way to dive into something but away from what you’re dealing with.
- Intimacy- Intimacy is another brilliantly workable way to postpone depression. Whether is kissing or something more, the fact that your mind dives completely into something and away from any real issues, allows you to postpone things until you want to face them.
- Hobbies- whatever they are, if you can completely place your mind in another place, its postponing.
I can only write from self-experience, self-exploration. This is everything I’ve picked up on in dealing with life and all its eccentricities. So what are you doing, dealing, fighting or postponing your present demons?
allbest,
-c
Depression is something I know, all too well. Growing up I was the social outkast, the younger brother that tagged along, the socially awkward kid.
As I grew older, I learned how to deal with social downfalls. I learned, early on that in order to be happy with myself, that the source of that joy MUST come from interally, because I simply could find it anywhere else. I was rejected, dejected, misunderstood, and pushed away from.
I had 5 best friends growing up, but none for years. Chad moved away. Neil made an ugly turn into the occult. Daniel found someone cooler and Courtney left. Katie & Welsch I both broke up with.
So during loss or times of self-lacking, I’ve figured out how I deal with depression and I’ve mapped out exactly how I have dealt with things, in hopes that it will shed some light on how the pysche works with this pyschological condition.
Depression, in and of itself is made up of pain, saddness, grief, loss or lacking.
Three are 3 ways the mind, your body/self deal with this depression:
1. Deal
2. Fight/Counter
3. Postpone
Deal:
Dealing with the depression isn’t what it sounds like, because its less than fighting or counter, but not quite postponing. Its more like sufficing. In “Dealing” with depression, one looks for quick solutions or quick remedies that do nothing more than solve it for a time, a short period.
Many of these temporary solutions are:
- Food- a very common way of dealing because when eating or in the process of looking for something to eat, your body and mind go for the “quick happy”, that brownie, that latte, the fast food. When eating that food, it temporarily sends you to a happier place, whether through reminescing or just chemical reaction.
- Drugs- this one is kinda self-explanatory, but depending on the drug you can either get a high, pass out or just decompress the pain and loosen yourself
- Alcohol- this one in the same light, it puts you in the mindset to either think of OTHER things or think of them differently, depending on how your mind reacts to the alcohol in the first place.
- Impulse buys- much like food its the “quick happy” that you’re after, and after this purchase you HOPE that it distracts you long enough to get over whatever it is thats depressing you in the first place. If you are depressed, or not feeling well with yourself, the last thing you should do is shop, because if you don’t find that full distraction in the first item you buy…you will until you do.
Fight/Counter:
Fighing or counter is the one-way ticket out of depression, IF you stick to it. IF you find the right sort of help for you, IF you go into not looking back. Whenever depression creeps up on you, fighting it standing up is by far, your BEST option:
- Friends- they are among the best ways to counter it. Friends build up your confidence, provide companionship and love. Love, however one can get it, is the best medication to depression depending on what is bringing it.
- Faith- Its a great way to get over and get rid of depression, whether it be through prayer, meditation or just praising your God or creator. Faith puts your mind at better ease because you loose that feeling or walking through it alone. In my walk with God, albeit a shaken one at times, its faith in knowing that he has my back, that he stands with me and that he watches over my life. Faith, at the same time, forces people to reevaluate their life and life choices for the better. Whatever got them into this depressive state, through the Bible or religious texts, in all cases sheds light on how to attack whatever is attacking them.
- Exercise- Studies have shown that when increased levels of pheromones and in the body (through exercise) the mind becomes more at ease and less tense. It serves similar for depression, exercise renews your mind, your self because so much of it was just focused elsewhere for a time. It leaves you refreshed.
Postpone:
There is nothing wrong with postponing depression as long as you realize that its not indefinite. Don’t want to deal with something now? Fine, but you’ll have to eventually. My advice, postpone ONLY when absolutely necessary. If you get bad news at work or something where you can’t just leave…postpone it. Otherwise, try to deal with it as soon as you get a clear head and mentally handle what you’re facing.
Ways we postpone are:
- Work- Its probably my favorite way to postpone things because, given my work, I can literally start whenever I’d like. Don’t have enough work to do? Research, always a good time killer and way to dive into something but away from what you’re dealing with.
- Intimacy- Intimacy is another brilliantly workable way to postpone depression. Whether is kissing or something more, the fact that your mind dives completely into something and away from any real issues, allows you to postpone things until you want to face them.
- Hobbies- whatever they are, if you can completely place your mind in another place, its postponing.
I can only write from self-experience, self-exploration. This is everything I’ve picked up on in dealing with life and all its eccentricities. So what are you doing, dealing, fighting or postponing your present demons?
allbest,
-c